In her discreetly Balkanized spot (whitewashed walls, kilim rugs, a communal table, Mochoi masques), chef Ecaterina Paraschiv (who also runs Ibrik Café) takes the Sentier neighborhood to faraway places with authentic Romanian cuisine, or in other words, dishes influenced by Hellenic, Turkish and central European cuisines. The day we went for lunch, the set lunch menu included: superb kefta made with slow-cooked beef that was pulled and then fried, topped with herbed fromage frais and diced feta; followed by perfectly breaded chicken schnitzel with a cream sauce, fromage frais, scallions and some extra-large and damn delicious fries. Otherwise, served à la carte: dried smoked beef pastrami; mititei, a mixture of three ground meats rolled into an uncased sausage, served with a pepper condiment and horseradish mustard; ciulama, a combination of seasonal mushrooms, white sauce and pan-fried polenta…. Not to mention the Instagram hits: pistachio cake and rose ice cream topped with crushed pistachios! // G.D.
FEELING THIRSTY? Coriander lemonade (€5), beer from the Balkans (€7) and a few wines from France and abroad, including a Romanian Sauvignon from the Domeniile Panciu (€32 a bottle) and a Provence Grenache from Myrko Tepus (€32).
PRICE: Menu €22-27 (lunch except Saturday), à la carte €38-48.
